Khartoum meeting on GERD successful:Minister

Addis Ababa, December 24, 2019 (FBC) –Ethiopia’s Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy, Dr Seleshi Bekele, today briefed journalists on the outcomes of the 3rd round of the tripartite talks held at the weekend.

The meeting was held on Saturday and Sunday in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, to discuss the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

The meeting, which was conducted in the presence of the United States and the World Bank as observers, is the continuation of the meeting held in Washington, D.C. on December 9, 2019.

“The Khartoum meeting was successful. The three countries have reached agreements on a number of issues,” the Minister said.

Dr Seleshi said that Egypt has fully removed it previous proposal that suggests Ethiopia to release a minimum of 40 billion cubic metres of water annually.

It also suggested the filling period of the dam to be extended to keep the water level at Aswan Dam from dropping below 165 meters.

“Egypt’s move to withdraw its proposal is a big success,” he told the media.

In its new proposal, Egypt also suggested the natural flow of the Nile river to be maintained, however, Ethiopia rejected the proposal as it denies the rights of upstream countries, he said.

During the discussion held on the definition of drought, the three countries didn’t reach agreement on the amount of water released and the water levels at the dam, he said.

Ethiopia suggested releasing 35 billion cubic meters annually during drought period, while Egypt needs the dam to release at least 40 billion cubic meters.

The Minister is hopeful that the three countries will reach an agreement on the issues on the next round of talks scheduled to take place from 8-9, January 2020 in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

The three countries will also meet in Washington on January 15, 2020 to finalize their agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD.

If an agreement is not reached by January 15, they will invoke article 10 of the 2015 Declaration of Principles.

Article 10 states that “The three countries commit to settle any dispute resulting from the interpretation or application of the declaration of principles through talks or negotiations based on the good will principle.

“If the parties involved do not succeed in solving the dispute through talks or negotiations, they can ask for mediation or refer the matter to their heads of states or prime ministers.”

By Baharu Yidnekachew